- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 3
- on record
- MPG
- 25
- combined
Open recalls on record
3 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2018 Toyota RAV4
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 3
- Owner complaints
- 328
- Complaints citing a crash
- 31
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
3 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
3 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 19V503000high
Incorrect or missing label
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence
An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
SET will notify owners and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. SET's number for this recall is SET19A.
- 17V831000high
Incorrect or missing label
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runner and Tundra, 2018 Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus GX460 and 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles. These vehicles may have incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence
An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Toyota will notify owners and provide them with corrected labels, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are H0Z for Toyota vehicles, and HLF for Lexus vehicles.
- 23V734000high
Battery sensor problem
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles. Certain replacement 12-volt batteries may not fit properly in the battery tray, allowing the battery to move and contact the hold-down bracket, possibly causing a short circuit.
Consequence
A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will replace the battery clamp sub-assembly, battery tray, and positive terminal cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 27, 2024, to 2013-2014 RAV4 owners. Additional owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, phase 2 will begin on May 14, 2025, and phase 3 in late July 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 23TB13 and 23TA13.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2018 Toyota RAV4.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 4 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 17.4%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2018 Toyota RAV4 5 out of 5 stars overall, level with the 5-star median for the 8 comparable 2018 vehicles NHTSA rated in this class.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 17.4% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2018 Toyota RAV4, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
23
City
29
Hwy
25
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,450
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 349 g/mi
How this compares
At 25 MPG combined, the 2018 Toyota RAV4 ranks 3rd of 8 small SUVs (2WD) EPA rated for 2018 — 2 MPG better than the 23 MPG median for that group.
That places it a little above the middle of its class. Fuel cost is close enough to its rivals that other running costs will probably matter more.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,450, $225 less than the $2,675 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $12,250, a $1,125 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 349 grams per mile — about 5.2 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
328 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 328
- Total
- 31
- Crashes
- 32
- Fires
- 18
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ELECTRICAL97
- OTHER63
- ENGINE51
- BRAKES29
- LIGHTING20
Notable Issues
328 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 18 reports involve injuries. 31 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2018 Toyota RAV4, newest first.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE21005
Battery Hold Down Bracket Thermal Events
- Recall
A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE21005
Battery Hold Down Bracket Thermal Events
- Recall
An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
- Drive type
- FWD
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Regular Gasoline
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Seats
- 5
Fuel economy
23
City
29
Hwy
25
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,450
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE21005
Battery Hold Down Bracket Thermal Events
- Recall
A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE21005
Battery Hold Down Bracket Thermal Events
- Recall
An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.